William Kofoed Poet Free verse

Not Hated

I was not hated
	because of that
and cannot understand
	how anyone was

I was not taught
	that I must fear
that others would hate me
	because of that

in simple days when I was young
	and I would play in bright sun
fields of green and flowers bright
	and simple joys of the young

I friends and I all would play
	on every day joy had we
until the day where we would part
	and I did go where they did not

I was taught by adults
	what to believe and what was right
and what to do on a day
	where the others still would play

of my friends someone come
	and some others they would not
and the rift between us grew
	and some would hate us because we did

and when we went we were taught
	of the story of who we were
of the hatred that others held
	and of all the violence our history held

taught of how others did hate
	and some of us they would kill
because they did not understand
	we were the same as our fellow man

our people hunted and driven forth
	tarred and feathered and houses burned
cast into prison without charge
	where the mobs would come and kill

and as I grew I did learn
	of the truth of the words
I was hated for my beliefs
	and persecuted because of them

there were jobs I could not have
	and opportunities denied to me
places where I could not go
	and many things I could not do

I was taught to understand
	to be a friend of all mankind
to never hate for who they were
	that we all my brothers be

no I do not understand
	why they are hated because of that
and could never know how it was
	to be hated because of that

but I have learned that hate runs free
	and is done for many of the things
because of beliefs and differences
	and of things we did not choose

oh that we might choose to be
	full of love for everyone
accepting of the differences in
	who we are and what we may be

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